NEW DELHI, Oct 8:
The Centre has denied information on curtailment of tenure of former Home Secretary L C Goyal saying that the records related to it were “cabinet papers” and exempted from disclosure.
Replying to an RTI query, the Cabinet Secretariat did not provide the copies of correspondence received from Goyal seeking voluntary retirement from the post of Home Secretary.
“As per records available, L C Goyal had sought voluntary retirement from service and accordingly, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) had approved curtailment of his tenure as Home Secretary with immediate effect,” it said.
Further, the relevant file notings and papers being the cabinet papers are exempted from disclosures under Section 8 (1)(i) of the RTI Act 2005, the Cabinet Secretariat said.
The section bars disclosure of information on cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the council of ministers, secretaries and other officers.
However, the decisions of council of ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete or over.
The RTI application filed by the PTI had sought copies of letter written by Goyal seeking voluntary retirement and file notings on action taken in this regard. (PTI)
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